Marcom - Marketing Communications :: PR/Marcom Pros Mentoring Students
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“Unlike a blog about asbestos news, the Wordpress website has nothing to do with asbestos. ” — Waxy.org
Bingo.
That’s why we keep hammering it into our clients heads how important it is to simply write good, relevant content about specific subjects and stay on-message.
This fiasco is also great PR case study - how would you future PR experts handle this mess? 
MarcomBlog is a collaborative effort between sixteen terrific public relations and marketing professionals and students in Auburn University’s Department of Communication and Journalism.
Our purpose: To actively involve students in conversations with practitioners from around the world. Blogs offer a unique opportunity for students to converse with professionals they never would have met before. Why not harness the power of CMS to bring people together. Think of this as part mentoring exercise by our contributors and part incubator for future PR/Marcom professionals.
This morning I had an email from a discouraged university graduate who is having trouble landing her first job. She knows herself well enough to aim for an in-house position with a corporation’s public relations … Share This: email to others, bookmark to del.icio.us, etc.
Hi, spring semester students. I’ve enjoyed seeing you all on Twitter and look forward to hearing more from you as the semester moves along. If you don’t already know it by now, I will tell … Share This: email to others, bookmark to del.icio.us, etc.
What are the aspects of relationships that can be measured? Positives and negatives? Good days versus the bad days? How can positives … Share This: email to others, bookmark to del.icio.us, etc.
Public Relations is a growing industry, and this is made evident in, among other things, the growing number of students taking university and masters-level courses in the subject at colleges and business schools around … Share This: email to others, bookmark to del.icio.us, etc.
I recently wrote about this subject over at BlogRisk.com but I wanted to get a deeper perspective from the folks at MarCom Blog - specifically students of public relations and marketing/communications. There’s no debate - business blogs … Share This: email to others, bookmark to del.icio.us, etc.
6 comments
4/1/2005 at 4:05 pm
Trackback from Opinionshapers - Wordpress Spam "Scandal" - The Run Down
4/1/2005 at 8:14 am
Robert
Ouch!
I want to say, “I can’t believe they would do this.” However, I know better.
It is quite easy to say, “This is not being handled well.” Apparently, ‘podz’ - a support moderator - actually closed the “WordPress Banned from Google?” post in WordPress support where this topic was being discussed. Not a bright move, which I’m sure he now regrets. A new thread was immediately started. That one is closed now, too. Very foolish way to deal with this.
Watching the threads there now, like WordPress Banned from Google?, The Google thing - not discussed here?! [CLOSED], and this somewhat strange explanation in a WordPress Support post by Matt - before the story broke (2005-03-24) - is not helping. Matt is in Europe right now and that is being given as his reason for not responding. Another ‘not bright’ move.
It is painfully obvious that they have never considered crisis planning, contingencies, etc.
I’ve tried to get two opensource CMS groups to better consider their PR/Marketing plans. But, this certainly is one more example of their naivete. Often, these volunteer opensource communities do not listen to ‘non-developers’. Anyone else experienced this?
Now, the fear is that WordPress powered blogs will suffer. I wonder if this will occur, either intentionally or because of some changes Google might make to their treatment of WordPress links. Doesn’t seem likely, but - you never know.
My favorite opensource blog platform is taking a much deserved pounding. Wonder how long it will go on?
4/1/2005 at 10:52 am
BillFrench
I can’t believe they would do this.
Actually, I believe Matt was duped and didn’t fully understand the [potential] consequences of his actions.
Unfortunately, the world continues to think “traditional SEO” when dealing with blogs and content in general. This is a bad habit to get into and why I believe the SEO industry is at risk (as it should be). Traditional SEO thought is an arms race that can never be won by either side until one side is bankrupt. If I were betting on which side will cave first, it’s the SEO consultants - their days are numbered for two reasons; i) there’s too much at stake for search engines and users, and ii) information objects are continually growing smaller and emerging as XML content (e.g., it’s easier to see search distortion patterns).
In a sense, the lethal combination of Wordpress’ poor judgment and Hot Nacho’s business model, created a [temporary] condition that transformed Google from a fairly useful information discovery system into a just another pile of ten billion pages.
Google (and other search solutions companies) will simply not allow this and they have a slight (but ever-growing) advantage in the search-gaming arms race.
In my view, the only future remaining in the SEO “game” is to create valuable, highly focused content. Companies like Expansion Plus and SEO-PR are in the SEO market but they have recognized how important it is to transform their businesses and Internet strategies to better guide their clients.
4/1/2005 at 3:36 pm
Michael G. Cohen
I have to side with Matt on this one. Though there were plenty of things he could have and should have done differently, he is a tech guy who now needs to realize he is running a business with a dedicated and easily aggitated community. Those who are the greatest evangelists of your products can also lead to its quickest demise.
I also have a sincere problem with the difference in numbers between what Matt claims (1000+ articles) and HotNacho which claims 168,000. Its not like splitting the difference brings the two much closer.
I have actually managed to turn this little “scandal� into a three part series on my blog. Part I is up, with Parts II and III later today.
4/1/2005 at 6:05 pm
Robert
Matt Mullenweg has posted “A Response to the Noise” on this topic.
In the comments, Matt responds with “I take full responsibilty for how it was implemented. It was wrong, and it wasn’t thought through.”
How refreshing.
Now, to see how they handle the rest of the crisis (many of them don’t see it as one, boy are they missing the boat) and then see how they prepare for future fiascos.
As WordPress grows, things like this are inevitable. I hope they get to work.
4/3/2005 at 1:16 pm
Dale Wolf
You gotta love the power of the blogosphere.
It forces transparency into business. You can stay outside the community and not communicate. We all know where that will leave a business. Or you communicate. If you communicate, the one rule that now exists is transparent honesty. Break it — no matter what your intentions — and you will be discovered and embarrased. Or put out of business.
The soul of every company is open for viewing.